Volume 6, Issue 7 www.delavan-lake.org August, 2011

Delavan Lake

The ImprovemenT assocIaTIon Lake News

P.O. Box 353 • Delavan, WI 53115 • www.delavan-lake.org

Thomas to remove approximately 45,000 cubic yards of sediment from a channel in the Inlet. The project is expected to run through September. The project is being financed from the Town’s Lake Fund, City of Delavan room tax contributions, DNR Waterways grant, and general borrowing. Ryan also talked about getting Friends of the Park organized and the Highway 50 widening, as well as managing the Town like a business, including developing short and long-range plans for the committees.Maggie Zoellner, Program Manager of the Delavan Lake Watershed Initiative Network for the Kettle

Moraine Land Trust, gave a presentation on the history of the area, how the lake and its watershed formed, and the importance of fresh water all over the world. How fortunate we are to have such a wonderful resource as Delavan Lake and its watershed and how fortunate we are to have partners in working to protect the watershed!. The future of our lake’s water quality depends on partnering across municipal borders to find ways to take care of the lake. An excerpt from her talk is printed in the newsletter and the entire text is available on our website www.delavan-lake.org.In the panel discussion period, Officer Mike Smith of the Delavan Water Safety Patrol discussed the number of citations issued in 2010 (82 by DNR wardens for equipment and registration violations, 2 by the Town of Delavan for boating accidents) and plans for 2011 including use of a Crime Prevention Grant for expanded patrol hours. He also reminded the audience that anyone born after January 1, 1989 needs a boater safety certificate in order to drive a motorboat or personal watercraft.Kay Beers won the door prize drawing of a rain barrel provided by Ace Hardware.

state of the Lake meeting, may 28thMore than 100 people attended the Delavan Lake Improvement Association’s annual State of the Lake meeting held at Community Park on Saturday, May 28th. The event began with a social hour and displays from the Delavan Lake Sanitary District, the Kettle Moraine Land Trust, Wisconsin Lakes, Walworth County Aquatic Invasive Species, the Delavan Lake Yacht Club Sailing School, the Delavan Historical Society and the DLIA itself. Mary Johnson from Reed’s Marine was on hand to sell Delavan Lake merchandise and Reed’s donated the day’s proceeds to the Town’s July 3rd fireworks celebration. The DLIA also collected donations for coffee and sweet rolls and donated the proceeds to the Town.During the presentations, President Sue Heffron welcomed everyone and discussed key DLIA priorities for 2011. Some of these priorities were to encourage the Town to apply for a DNR grant to support Clean Boats/Clean Waters for 2011, to support the Inlet Dredging Project, and to expand membership and communication.

The theme of the day was “Past, Present and Future” and the next speaker was June Yantis, former DLIA president and Lake Committee member. June spoke about the difficulties of getting the 1980s rehab project organized and how citizens banded together. An excerpt from her talk is printed in the newsletter and the entire text is available on our website www.delavan-lake.org. Next was Town Chair Ryan Simons speaking on the State of the Town. Ryan reported on the financial health of the lake, which is good – taxes are low compared to other resort communities – and the status of the upcoming Inlet Dredging project. In mid-May the Town signed the contract with JND

Delavan Lake

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The ImprovemenT assocIaTIonLake News

August, 2011

Delavan Lake project historyJune Yantis, Past President of DLIA

My late husband and I moved to Delavan Lake in 1980 as weekend people. We soon became concerned about the quality of our lake water, and I joined a group called Citizens for Establishing a Delavan Lake Management District. The officers of the group were Miller Upton, president, Jim Campbell, vice-president, Ed Clair, secretary, and Gail Mattison, treasurer. My first activity with the group was going door to door, along with several others, collecting signatures to form a Lake Management District. For the entire text of June’s speech, please see our website, www.delavan-lake.org.

past, present and FutureMaggie Zoellner, Program Manager, Delavan Lake Watershed Initiative Network

I cannot talk about the lake as though it is its own separate entity standing alone, unconnected to the lands and communities around it. It is connected. It is connected to the communities of people in Delavan and Elkhorn and the towns of Geneva, Delavan, Walworth, Darien, Lafayette and Williams Bay. It is connected to us. It is connected to the families who work here, those who swim in its waters, the restaurant owner who welcomes vacationers to his tables, and to the marina and hotel operators. It is connected to our ecological communities – the wetlands that filter water along its banks, the aquatic inhabitants of its liquid depths, and the migrating birds that seek rest and food in its cattail marshes. It is even connected to the guy who is washing his car miles away, the farmer mowing silage, and the teacher overseeing science experiments in the local high school. All these connections are real, are beneficial and exist between Delavan Lake and its watershed.… Everyone lives in a watershed. For the entire text of Maggie’s speech, please see our website, www.delavan-lake.org.

Delavan Lake Watershed Initiative network UpdateOn July 28, representatives from Delavan Lake WIN presented the history and plans for the WIN project at the Delavan Lake Sanitary District office. The presentation contained information about the original rehabilitation project in the 1980s, the science behind the deteriorating water quality in the lake, and the need for a watershed approach. Links to the presentation are available on our website, the DLSD website and also the Kettle Moraine Land Trust website.

Inlet Dredging project Underway!

The Town’s Inlet dredging project began on July 5th and is expected to be in operation for a few months. You may have seen the hoses floating in the water north of Highway 50 and the dewatering equipment behind the Fire Station on Highway F. The dredge machine picks up sediment along a 3000-foot path and sends it through hoses to the dewatering equipment, which separates large-sized particles such as stones and sticks, then dries the sediment to a slightly-damp condition ready to be transported off-site.

The Town’s website has an excellent Inlet Dredging Project section with updates provided by Peter Berrini, project manager from HDR Engineering Inc., who designed the project.

The updates include detailed maps and photos of the plans, equipment and progress. You are encouraged to view the project but you will find complete information on the Town’s website, www.townofdelavan.com.

Inlet Dredging project Underway!

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Delavan Lake

The ImprovemenT assocIaTIonLake News

August, 2011

Edison, Peoples Gas, Light and Coal Company and the Public Service Corporation. Commonwealth Edison maintained a complete complex for the three companies for private use of their employees and families for summer vacations at a low cost. For instance, cottages cost only $15.00 a week!

Commonwealth Edison refurbished the hotel and built the original nine-holes of the golf links in 1929 and the second nine-holes in 1930. The ballroom was built in 1929. The Circus Bar, water tower and maintenance barn were all built from 1932 to 1955.

Lake Lawn was sold to George W. Borg in 1936 and he was the first to open Lake Lawn to the public. In 1942, Mr. Borg sold Lake Lawn to two contractors, Jay Reader and Harold Zilisch. Russ Babcock was the general maintenance manager for many years and was made a junior partner in 1950.

Expansion during the 28 years of Reader, Zilisch and Babcock were many. These included the golf shop, an airport in 1945, a newly renovated dining room and an addition to the kitchen. A new bar was built, The Pee Wee, in 1945 and in 1958 the Look Out bar, Timber Lodge and an indoor swimming pool and health club.

Boulder Lodge added 40 new rooms to Lake Lawn. The Horseshoe Lodge was built in 1960 and in 1963 the Convention Center was completed. 1966 expansions included the Kings Pub, Ram Bar, Country Oven Bakery, Treasure Shop, Timber Terrace, the Papoose Shop and Chief Shop.

Numerous owners over the last 40 years brought further expansion, improvements and renovations. Jim Drescher’s purchase of Lake Lawn earlier this year promises a bright future and a return of Lake Lawn Resort to its former glory.

The Legend of Lake Lawn LodgeCompiled From the Memories and Research of Ruby Reader

Waupshaw or Swan Lake was the name given to Delavan Lake by the Indians who lived on these shores two or three thousand years ago. The tribes were all from the Sioux Nation – Algonquins, Potawatomies, Winnebagos and the Big Foot Band of the Lake Geneva area. All of these tribes were nomadic, forced to move because of climatic conditions or tribal wars.

There was a flourishing village on the shores where Lake Lawn’s main buildings are now located. A visual reminder still remaining of the Indians is their earthen mounds. All had ceremonial earth works built in various shapes. Conical long and short turtle effigies still remain at Lake Lawn. These mounds were the burial areas for their most important people.

Colonel Samuel Phoenix discovered the lake in 1836 (this makes Delavan 175 years old this year) and brought his family and that of his brother’s, Henry Phoenix, from the east. At first they considered staying at the lake, but after studying the natural resources for water power, decided in favor of a town site. They wanted a water-powered mill along a stream which was built two miles west of the lake where Delavan now stands.

In 1850 E.F. and J. Mabie, brothers and proprietors of the Mabie Circus and Menagerie bought a large farm directly across from Lake Lawn for their winter quarters. After they were purchased by Barnum and Bailey, Delavan became known as the 19th Century Circus Capital of the Nation. When the circus broke up, the Mabie daughters inherited the land. One of the daughters married a Philips and they built the original Delavan Lake hotel in 1883 and operated it as such until 1923 when it was sold to Commonwealth

Delavan Lake

The ImprovemenT assocIaTIonLake News

August, 2011

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DLIa In action

Last fall the Town’s Lake Committee asked the DLIA to take on a research project, to find out if other towns, similar to Delavan, have dedicated lake maintenance funds. DLIA board members worked on the project and made presentations to the Lake Committee in March and July. The project is now complete: More than 50 people were interviewed about how their towns take care of their lakes.

The people interviewed were quite enthusiastic about sharing their experiences. We expected the interviews to last about 15 minutes, but most lasted an hour. Everyone we talked to wants a copy of the report, which is available on our website at www.delavan-lake.org.

We found that while none of the interviewed lakes has a dedicated fund, some budget annually for lake maintenance and some do long-range planning that includes lake projects.

We hope the results of the research will be helpful to the Town.

In other action, the DLIA donated $700 to Community Park for an inflatable swim boom. This is the Park’s second yellow swim boom and the booms help keep floating weeds out of the swim area.

We also collected $75 in donations at the coffee table at our May 28th State of the Lake meeting and gave it to the Town for fireworks for the July 3rd celebration.

Delavan Lake Improvement association annual meeting

Something new this year – our Annual Meeting will not be held over Labor Day weekend, but rather on Saturday morning, October 8th. We will give you more details as they become available so watch for information on our website, www.delavan-lake.org.